UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX

The inevitable has finally come to pass and the championship is settled. With Mercedes having such an advantage in this sport, was it ever a question who would officially win this world championship?

From my perspective, championships are earned. They certainly mean less nowadays than they used to considering the discrepancies in funding and technologies available to every team.

For that reason, I don't want to waste another minute being bitter that Hamilton won the world championship, or that he won it on MY American soil. I really hoped he would just get it out of the way in Mexico so I would be able to enjoy the last three races of the season supporting Red Bull and Ferrari in peace.

I'm proud to be an American, but I regret how this F1 event went down this weekend. I believe we could have been much better hosts at the Circuit of the Americas.

We look forward to this race all year. And being an American F1 fan means that you're in the vast minority when it comes to sports allegiances in this country. Barely anyone here has even heard of F1, so you're fighting an uphill battle.

If the USA was going to host an F1 grand prix, the least we could have done was to make sure it was an event that deserved to be amongst all the other destinations on the F1 calendar.

I'm really glad F1 comes to America, but I think there are a lot of issues we could have avoided. First of all, why did we build COTA on land that was sinking in the first place? And if we were going to build it there, why didn't we plan to make sure that the major resurface was done before this year's race? Okay, so it's planned for this next year. But that's too late.

Second, it's not a pleasant looking track to begin with. It's very harsh-looking with no greenery, surrounded by flat, treeless land. The track itself is good, but the surrounding environment doesn't make it a very interesting location to watch.

The biggest problem I had with the US Grand Prix is that there doesn't seem to be any demonstrated understanding that this is an event which is seen around the world. We're on the global stage here, so it would be nice if we weren't the only country flaunting mostly-naked cheerleaders and ostentatious sky divers with the American flag. It's fine for NASCAR, but this is Formula 1.

I guess they just don't know how this racing is different from what American racing is used to.

Well. Okay.

My favorite part of this weekend was when Bottas stole away the win from Hamilton at the last minute. Okay, so Hamilton still won the championship, but he didn't also win the race today, which was important to me that he didn't get. I'm so proud of Bottas. He's the best.

Two races left this year. I can't wait for Ferrari and Red Bull to have a fresh start.

Free Practice 1

- it’s super cold for Texas in October. It’s like in the low 50s but should warm up in the next couple days 

- A lot of talk about how bumpy this track is because the track is sinking even though it’s built in the last ten years and they’ve done all they can without doing a total repave

- Hamilton goes out and right away says « it’s so bumpy I don’t know if this track is safe » like the US doesn’t have the most advanced safety regulations in the world 

- They have no mercy about track limits on Turn 19 and two people have had their times deleted already Latifi is in for Russell this session

- They have the 2020 tires to test for FP1 and FP2 Charles has a helmet that’s half USA themed and half for Brazil next

- Grosjean has a Disney’s Cars helmet for this race 

Free Practice 2

- Grosjean has a big crash into the barriers with his front end and it red flagged the session Gio goes off at turn 9 and caused a yellow flag but then continues 

Free Practice 3

- apparently Brendan Hartley was hard at work in the simulator overnight for Ferrari? What? When did he get involved at Ferrari? Was that just an incorrect name reported?

- It’s warmer today thankfully 

- Yellow flag because Charles felt the engine go in the Ferrari and pulls over and the engine is smoking a lot. This is so bad because Charles was looking at pole again and this was the engine that was going to be in qualifying today and if it’s done (and it looks really really done), then he will have to replace his engine and gearbox. This happened after Charles reported problems with the engine yesterday in practice. 

Qualifying 

- out in Q1: Gio, Kimi, Russell, Perez, Kubica 

- Out in Q2: Hulk, KMags, Kvyat, Stroll, Grosjean

- Hamilton knocked Maxy off track and Maxy roasted him on the radio but they said no investigation necessary 

- Final result: Bottas starting on pole, Seb and Max third

Pre-Race

- They asked this kid wearing all Mercedes if he was rooting for Hamilton to win today and he turned to the camera and went "I want Valtteri Bottas".

- extensive clip of Daniel driving around with some guy and they interview him about his music preferences, his driving and he said his "only problem with Max" was his moving under breaking

- is this skydiving with the American flag thing necessary

- why are we the only country with slutty cheerleaders featured?? So embarrassing.

- WHAT IS THIS NATIONAL ANTHEM? Even Seb is like snickering. It's like a low jam version of the anthem? I don't understand.

Race

- at start, Albon and Sainz have contact

- Hamilton makes his way up to 4th at the start

- the Ferraris haven't fired their tires up so Hamilton gets into third right away on the first lap

- The Ferraris are dropping further and further back, specifically Vettel

- Seb locks up on first lap, letting Norris past

- They are saying it's all because the Ferrari's just don't have their tires up to temperature correctly

- Bottas leads over the line in the first lap and he rained first, with Max in second and Hamilton in third

- By lap 2, Seb dropped back to 7

- Alex Albon has to pit after first lap because of the contact with Sainz on the first lap

- they are investigating Sainz and Albon collision on first lap but deem it a racing incident

- a HORRIBLE start from the Ferraris

- Vettel can barely keep up and keep it not he track, he is feeling damage even though he didn't hit anything

- 8/56 - Seb has major suspension failure and his car ends up with the front left permanently flying off the ground until he can pull over by a place for them to take the car off track. Seb retires.

- 14 / 56 - Max pits, first of anyone. They're trying to undercut Hamilton, but they put the hard tires on

- the lap after, they pit Bottas to try to compete with Max's undercut

- 21/56 - Ferrari does a 7.7 sec pit stop for Leclerc. Um.... ?????????? TWO WEEKS IN A ROW messing up Charles pit stops? Are you kidding me?

- Kvyat has a slow stop, around 6.2 seconds but we don't see it

- They told Hamilton to come in and he said no and drove right by the pit box. THIS is why he hasn't won anyone's heart.

- Bottas gets past Hamilton right away when Hamilton didn't pit so then Hamilton pits, surely realizing he made a cocky mistake staying out, not that he won't do it again next time. I can't believe he just ignores his team's educated input and strategy.

- Hamilton is ignoring speed instructions because he wants to win so bad and it's ruining his tires. He radios, "Give me a target, Bono. Work with me."

- Kubica retires from he race

- 35 / 56 - Max pits for second time for yellow tires

- 36 / 56 - they pit Bottas for the second time

- 52 / 56 - an AMAZING battle where Bottas charges at Hamilton and finally gets past him right at the end of the race and it's THE BEST MOMENT that Bottas is going to steal this win from Hamilton during his championship winning race

- Albon has fought his way from the back all the way to 5th and gets driver of the day. He's doing great

- Max charging at Hamilton in second and looks like he's going to get him right at the end, but then Kevin Magnussen goes off and there's a yellow flag so it steals Maxy's second from him and he has to stay third

- At the end, BOTTAS WINS, then Hamilton, then Max in third